December 24, 2012

Nuremberg Part 4: Zeppelin Field

Entrance to Zeppelin
Tribüne and Golden Hall(photo taken from the street)

The photograph above shows the rear of
the reviewing stand built in 1934 at the Zeppelin Field in Nürnberg,
Germany for Hitler's Nazi party rallies. On the far right is
the front entrance to the Golden Hall, which has been converted
into a museum called Faszination und Gewalt (Fascination and
Violence).

Also seen in the photo above is the modern
sculpture, constructed out of salvage from World War II and spray-painted
battleship gray, which stands in front of the Museum. Hitler
favored classical art and deplored this kind of modern art, which
he referred to as "degenerate art." It has often been
said that the winners write the history of a war; the winners
also build the monuments, so the memorial artwork at all the
World War II historical places is the opposite of what Hitler
admired.

The marble reviewing stand at the Zeppelin Field,
shown in the photograph above, is the place where the Nazi swastika
was blown up by the Allies in a symbolic display of victory over
the Nazis on April 24, 1945.

These stands are where the Nazi dignitaries
sat and enormous flags with the swastika
emblem were displayed. Now the former parade ground has been turned into a soccer
field.

On the central promontory, which is the speaker's stand where
Hitler used to give his speeches, you can still make out the
faint outline of another swastika which was removed from the
marble by the American military.

Inside the Golden Hall, a gold
mosaic swastika has been left on the ceiling as a grim reminder
of Germany's dark past.

It was an eerie feeling walking up these steps knowing that Hilter walked up them, too.

Standing where Hilter addressed the multitudes.

You can see the stands over a quarter of a mile away.

This is what Hitler saw when he stood
at the speaker's stand.

The field that stretched before him was
filled with 100,000 marching soldiers and there was a capacity
crowd of 340,000 spectators.

The door from which Hilter emerged and walked down the steps to his podium.

In the video below you can see where there was once a large swastika just above that door.

Evidence of previous Nazi symbols having been 'erased.'

The three divisions that fought in the
battle of Nuremberg were the 3rd, the 42nd and the 45th Infantry
divisions. The 42nd Rainbow Division and the 45th Thunderbird
division went on to liberate the Dachau concentration camp on
April 29, 1945.

The Battle of Nuremberg was given great importance
by the American military because
it "was in the eyes of the Americans nothing less than the
sacred home of National Socialism."

The destruction of the hated Nazi swastika
emblem, encircled by a gold-plated laurel wreath, took place
four days after three divisions of the American Seventh Army
had captured the city of Nuremberg on April 20, 1945, which
happened to be Hitler's 56th birthday.

On the day that the swastika
was blown up, the victorius Americans held their third victory
parade on the Zeppelin field.

Even though it was a memorable experience to visit this place, there was an ominous feeling surrounding me.

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Nuremberg Part 4: Zeppelin Field

Entrance to Zeppelin
Tribüne and Golden Hall(photo taken from the street)

The photograph above shows the rear of
the reviewing stand built in 1934 at the Zeppelin Field in Nürnberg,
Germany for Hitler's Nazi party rallies. On the far right is
the front entrance to the Golden Hall, which has been converted
into a museum called Faszination und Gewalt (Fascination and
Violence).

Also seen in the photo above is the modern
sculpture, constructed out of salvage from World War II and spray-painted
battleship gray, which stands in front of the Museum. Hitler
favored classical art and deplored this kind of modern art, which
he referred to as "degenerate art." It has often been
said that the winners write the history of a war; the winners
also build the monuments, so the memorial artwork at all the
World War II historical places is the opposite of what Hitler
admired.

The marble reviewing stand at the Zeppelin Field,
shown in the photograph above, is the place where the Nazi swastika
was blown up by the Allies in a symbolic display of victory over
the Nazis on April 24, 1945.

These stands are where the Nazi dignitaries
sat and enormous flags with the swastika
emblem were displayed. Now the former parade ground has been turned into a soccer
field.

On the central promontory, which is the speaker's stand where
Hitler used to give his speeches, you can still make out the
faint outline of another swastika which was removed from the
marble by the American military.

Inside the Golden Hall, a gold
mosaic swastika has been left on the ceiling as a grim reminder
of Germany's dark past.

It was an eerie feeling walking up these steps knowing that Hilter walked up them, too.

Standing where Hilter addressed the multitudes.

You can see the stands over a quarter of a mile away.

This is what Hitler saw when he stood
at the speaker's stand.

The field that stretched before him was
filled with 100,000 marching soldiers and there was a capacity
crowd of 340,000 spectators.

The door from which Hilter emerged and walked down the steps to his podium.

In the video below you can see where there was once a large swastika just above that door.

Evidence of previous Nazi symbols having been 'erased.'

The three divisions that fought in the
battle of Nuremberg were the 3rd, the 42nd and the 45th Infantry
divisions. The 42nd Rainbow Division and the 45th Thunderbird
division went on to liberate the Dachau concentration camp on
April 29, 1945.

The Battle of Nuremberg was given great importance
by the American military because
it "was in the eyes of the Americans nothing less than the
sacred home of National Socialism."

The destruction of the hated Nazi swastika
emblem, encircled by a gold-plated laurel wreath, took place
four days after three divisions of the American Seventh Army
had captured the city of Nuremberg on April 20, 1945, which
happened to be Hitler's 56th birthday.

On the day that the swastika
was blown up, the victorius Americans held their third victory
parade on the Zeppelin field.

Even though it was a memorable experience to visit this place, there was an ominous feeling surrounding me.